Public sector strike is 'first shot in longer battle' say unions

That was the vow from one of Britain’s most senior union bosses, speaking by the steps of a Hampshire council HQ as strikers across the county brought some public services to standstill.

Firefighters walked out, schools shut, bins went uncollected and libraries closed as public sector workers joined an estimated one million strikers nationwide.

National and local government along with fire service bosses last night dismissed the strikes and insisted it was business as usual.

Unions have joined forces to protest at pay freezes, pension cuts, Government reforms and what they say is the running down of services.

They include the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), GMB, the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Unison and Unite.

But Gail Cartmail, assistant Unite union general secretary (AGS) at the trade union Unite and member of the TUC executive committee and general council, said yesterday’s mass walkout was only the beginning.

She told the Daily Echo: “If necessary we will have more days of industrial action. It is up to our members but I think it is highly likely. It is a hard decision for our members because every day they strike they lose pay.”

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She was speaking at a huge rally outside the Civic Centre in Southampton that drew hundreds of striking public sector workers.

They gathered outside Hampshire County Council’s HQ and the city’s Guildhall.

Tim Cutter, branch secretary for Hampshire Unison, said: “We have two choices. We can accept that there is no alternative and put up with the cuts and pay freezes, or we can decide that there is an alternative and that is to fight back. Hampshire County Council pays their chief executive nearly £250,000 per year.

“Don’t let them tell us they can’t afford to increase our wages. We are not going to win with one day’s strike action; the only way to win this pay rise is if all the unions come together.”

Speaking to Daily Echo afterwards, Mr Cutter said the one-day strike would be the first of many if the Government failed to act on the demands of public sector workers.

He said: “Today was the first shot in a long battle. Members are clear about what is needed. We would hope we would not need to take further action but we might have to if the Government are not prepared to make us a proper offer.”

There were also a picket outside the New Forest and District Borough Council HQ in Lyndhurst and at the works depot in Marsh Lane in Lymingston.

In Southampton, striking teachers assembled in Watts Park ready to join the main rally at the Civic Centre.

Meanwhile, working parents faced a childcare headache as more than 130 schools in Southampton and the county council area confirmed they would either be disrupted or closed.

But NUT Southampton representative Pete Sopowski said: “We are sorry that people with childcare issues have to make alternative arrangements.

“But we also have to look after our families and our futures and also it will be their families and their futures when we can’t get teachers to teach because people are leaving the profession at the moment.

“We are here to continually protest at Mr Gove not coming to the negotiating table but he is still not discussing anything properly and its pay, pensions and workload.”

Teachers are protesting against changes to teaching, workload and pay as well as to pensions which could see teachers working until they are 68.

One of the scores of teachers rallying in Southampton yesterday was Liz Tiler, head teacher at Valentine’s Primary in Sholing, Southampton.

She said: “I am here today to stand up for the state education system. I am concerned about the changes Michael Gove is determined to implement.

“My parents in my school don’t want teachers still teaching at 68, when they’re tired and do not have the energy.

They want their children to have a decent education because that’s what’s going to change their lives.”

Despite repeated attempts Southampton City Council were unable to provide a statement on the dispute or the number of workers on strike.

But Councillor Stephen Reid, Hamsphire County Council’s human resources boss, said the impact of the strike was minimal.

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He added: “We had contingency plans in place to protect services provided to the young, old and vulnerable in our care. We made every effort to ensure that impact on essential services was kept to a minimum, with as little disruption as possible.”

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Comments (3)

“THIS is just the beginning”. Quite a bold statement from a Union boss, considering it's down to their members to decide that. I wonder if they'd be striking under a Labour Government or would they just turn a blind eye as they are doing here in Southampton.

“THIS is just the beginning”.
Quite a bold statement from a Union boss, considering it's down to their members to decide that.
I wonder if they'd be striking under a Labour Government or would they just turn a blind eye as they are doing here in Southampton.IronLady2010

“THIS is just the beginning”. Quite a bold statement from a Union boss, considering it's down to their members to decide that. I wonder if they'd be striking under a Labour Government or would they just turn a blind eye as they are doing here in Southampton.

Score: -3

Major Ray Cist says...1:36pm Fri 11 Jul 14

I dont want to comment they look hard core to me, let them get on with it and hope they dont really kick off.

I dont want to comment they look hard core to me, let them get on with it and hope they dont really kick off.Major Ray Cist

I dont want to comment they look hard core to me, let them get on with it and hope they dont really kick off.

Score: 0

Linesman says...8:26am Mon 14 Jul 14

IronLady2010 wrote…

“THIS is just the beginning”. Quite a bold statement from a Union boss, considering it's down to their members to decide that. I wonder if they'd be striking under a Labour Government or would they just turn a blind eye as they are doing here in Southampton.

Did you really expect him to say, "This is the end."? You are correct, it s down to the members to decide, but don't you think that the membership have been kept abreast of what the Union negotiators have been doing ON THEIR BEHALF Are you claiming that the strike was called before any negotiations took place and without any consultations with the members? If you are, then I assume that you think that members of the union are just sheep, who do as they are told BY THE LEADERS THAT THEY ELECTED. Elsewhere you have claimed that you are ' a swing voter.' Some may believe you, but having read so many of your right wing comments and opinions, very few would be that gullible.

[quote][p][bold]IronLady2010[/bold] wrote:
“THIS is just the beginning”.
Quite a bold statement from a Union boss, considering it's down to their members to decide that.
I wonder if they'd be striking under a Labour Government or would they just turn a blind eye as they are doing here in Southampton.[/p][/quote]Did you really expect him to say, "This is the end."?
You are correct, it s down to the members to decide, but don't you think that the membership have been kept abreast of what the Union negotiators have been doing ON THEIR BEHALF
Are you claiming that the strike was called before any negotiations took place and without any consultations with the members?
If you are, then I assume that you think that members of the union are just sheep, who do as they are told BY THE LEADERS THAT THEY ELECTED.
Elsewhere you have claimed that you are ' a swing voter.'
Some may believe you, but having read so many of your right wing comments and opinions, very few would be that gullible.Linesman

IronLady2010 wrote…

“THIS is just the beginning”. Quite a bold statement from a Union boss, considering it's down to their members to decide that. I wonder if they'd be striking under a Labour Government or would they just turn a blind eye as they are doing here in Southampton.

Did you really expect him to say, "This is the end."? You are correct, it s down to the members to decide, but don't you think that the membership have been kept abreast of what the Union negotiators have been doing ON THEIR BEHALF Are you claiming that the strike was called before any negotiations took place and without any consultations with the members? If you are, then I assume that you think that members of the union are just sheep, who do as they are told BY THE LEADERS THAT THEY ELECTED. Elsewhere you have claimed that you are ' a swing voter.' Some may believe you, but having read so many of your right wing comments and opinions, very few would be that gullible.

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